Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin approved by Hong Kong, to be added in COVID-19 vaccines list

The Covaxin vaccine from Bharat Biotech has been added to Hong Kong's list of approved COVID-19 vaccines. Covaxin was approved for emergency use in Vietnam earlier on Wednesday, making it the ninth vaccine to be approved in the country. Covaxin and Covishield are now recognised in 96 countries, and the World Health Organisation has given both of these COVID-19 vaccines an emergency use listing (EUL) (WHO). ANI took to Twitter citing the Hong Kong government to announce the recognition. The caption read, 'Bharat Biotech's Covaxin is now on the list of COVID19 vaccines recognized by Hong Kong.'

Hong Kong is best known as an international financial centre, business hub, shopping paradise, and tourist destination. However, the former British colony's civil unrest is centred on the region's identity crisis and resistance to Beijing's interference. Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region under the control of the People's Republic of China that has limited autonomy under the Basic Law. The "one country, two systems" principle allows socialism and capitalism to coexist in "one country," which is mainland China. Low tax rates, free trade, and minimal government intervention characterise Hong Kong's economy.  So, it is worth noting that Hong Kong, despite being a Chinese special administrative region, has approved Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, whereas China has yet to take it into consideration. 

UK includes Covaxin in its list of vaccines

Beginning November 22, Indian travellers who have been fully vaccinated with Bharat Biotech's Covaxin will be able to travel to the UK without having to undergo mandatory self-isolation, according to British High Commissioner Alex Ellis. The announcement came shortly after UK Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss announced that the UK has "expanded" the list of recognised vaccines for "inbound travel," implying that Covaxin is now included in the revised list.

According to the UK government's travel update, the government will recognise vaccines on the World Health Organisation's Emergency Use Listing (WHO EUL) beginning at 4 a.m. on Monday, November 22. As a result, Sinovac, Sinopharm Beijing, and Covaxin will be added to our list of approved vaccines for inbound travel, benefiting more fully vaccinated people from countries like the UAE, Malaysia, and India. Senior UK officials, including Ms Truss, who visited India in the third week of October, had been pressuring New Delhi to recognise India-made vaccines.

Image: PTI/Unsplash/RepresentativeImage